Snails (escargot, snail extract)

Darul Fatwa states that snails are not najis (impure) but are revolting (khabith), so they may not be eaten: snail in food is Haram. Because snails are not impure, snail extract or mucin in cosmetics is permissible. Scholars differ: see the note.

Food	Cosmetics & personal care	Medicine
Haram	Halal	Medicine note

Concern

Scholars differ

The schools of Islamic law differ on this ingredient. We follow Darul Fatwa's school and show a Scholars differ note with what the other schools say.

Scholars differ

Darul Fatwa forbids eating snails as revolting (khabith). The Malikiyy school permits some small creatures that other schools forbid.

What clears it

Nothing can clear this, because the problem is the ingredient itself.

What our sources say

Darulfatwa – Islamic High Council of Australia · التذكية الشرعية وتفسير قول الله تعالى:”حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ ….”

والسمك حلال كيفما وصل إلينا سواء عن طريق مجوسي أو كتابي لأن ميتة السمك حلال.

Translation “Fish is halal however it reaches us, whether through a Magian or a kitabiyy, because dead fish is halal.”

Source page · archived copy · retrieved Sep 22, 2026

Darulfatwa – Islamic High Council of Australia · الثقافة الإسلامية بتقريظ الأزهرالقسم الأول من ج5

النَّجَاسَةُ مِنْهَا: الْبَوْلُ، وَالْغَائِطُ، وَالدَّمُ، وَالْقَيْحُ، وَالْقَىْءُ، وَالْخَمْرَةُ، وَالْمَيْتَةُ سِوَى السَّمَكِ وَالْجَرَادِ وَالآدَمِىُّ وَكَذَلِكَ عَظْمُهَا وَشَعْرُهَا.

Translation “Among the kinds of najasah are: urine, feces, blood, pus, vomit, khamr, and maytah other than fish, locusts and humans, and likewise its bones and hair.”

Source page · archived copy · retrieved Sep 22, 2026

Darulfatwa – Islamic High Council of Australia · التذكية الشرعية وتفسير قول الله تعالى:”حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ ….”

وقد ورد في القرءان حلّ أكل السّمك وصيد البحر في قوله تعالى: {أُحِلَّ لكم صيدُ البحر وطعامُه متاعا لكم}.

Translation “The permissibility of eating fish and the game of the sea is stated in the Qur‘an, in the saying of Allah, the Exalted: {Lawful to you is the game of the sea and its food, as provision for you}.”

Source page · archived copy · retrieved Sep 22, 2026

Darulfatwa – Islamic High Council of Australia · متن أبي شجاع في الفقه الشافعي

ولنا ميتتان حلالان: السمك والجراد، ودمان حلالان: الكبد والطحال.

Translation “We have two kinds of maytah that are halal: fish and locusts; and two kinds of blood that are halal: the liver and the spleen.”

Source page · archived copy · retrieved Sep 22, 2026

Darulfatwa – Islamic High Council of Australia · التذكية الشرعية وتفسير قول الله تعالى:”حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ ….”

فمتى كان السمك يحتاج لأكله إلى ذبح؟

Translation “So since when has fish needed slaughtering in order to be eaten?”

Source page · archived copy · retrieved Sep 22, 2026

Darulfatwa – Islamic High Council of Australia · متن أبي شجاع في الفقه الشافعي

والميتة كلها نجسة إلا السمك والجراد والآدمي

Translation “and all maytah is najis except fish, locusts and humans”

Source page · archived copy · retrieved Sep 22, 2026

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